Jan 17, Matthew 17, Job 13&14, Psalms 17

 Daniel 7: MSG

11-13 “I kept watching. The little horn was speaking arrogantly. Then, as I watched, the monster was killed and its body cremated in a roaring fire. The other animals lived on for a limited time, but they didn’t really do anything, had no power to rule. My dream continued.

13-14 “I saw a human form, a son of man,

    arriving in a whirl of clouds.

He came to The Old One

    and was presented to him.

He was given power to rule—all the glory of royalty.

    Everyone—race, color, and creed—had to serve him.

His rule would be forever, never ending.

    His kingly rule would never be replaced.

    In Matthew 17 Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John on a mountain. In this event, Jesus' clothes become dazzling white, and he is joined by Moses and Elijah.

    Moses is considered as one of the most prominent figures in the Old Testament, and his presence beside Jesus in the Transfiguration is seen as a representation of the continuity of the Law that Moses represents and the fulfillment of the Law in Jesus. The presence of Moses at the Transfiguration is also seen as a way to emphasize Jesus' role as the giver of the Law, the one who fulfills it, and the one who brings it to its intended goal.

    Elijah is considered as one of the most prominent figures in the Old Testament, and his presence beside Jesus in the Transfiguration is seen as a representation of the continuity of the prophetic tradition and Jesus as the ultimate prophet. Elijah is also seen as a figure who would return to the world before the end of time, and his presence at the Transfiguration is seen as a way to emphasize Jesus as the one who fulfills the role of the prophet and brings the prophetic tradition to its intended goal.

    So, because of the reading plan we are on we have not met either of these people yet in our readings, but i am excited to get into them because their lives are packed and very interesting! Another cool thing to think about here, if these two dead prophets were able to appear on the mountain with Jesus, then that means there is life after death! The bible will testify of this many times, and it's actually one of the biggest debates between the Pharisees and the Sadducees 

    The Sadducees, who were made up mostly of wealthy and influential members of Jewish society, rejected the idea of resurrection because it was not explicitly mentioned in the Torah and because it went against their understanding of the afterlife. They believed that the soul perished with the body and that there was no afterlife or judgment.

    On the other hand, the Pharisees, who were a more populist movement, believed in the resurrection of the dead and the immortality of the soul. They based this belief on interpretations of passages in the Hebrew Bible and on oral traditions that had developed over time.

    Malachi 4:5-6

New King James Version

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet

Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

6 And he will turn

The hearts of the fathers to the children,

And the hearts of the children to their fathers,

Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

‭‭-    Matthew‬ ‭17‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“The disciples, meanwhile, were asking questions. “Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?” Jesus answered, “Elijah does come and get everything ready. I’m telling you, Elijah has already come but they didn’t know him when they saw him. They treated him like dirt, the same way they are about to treat the Son of Man.” That’s when the disciples realized that all along he had been talking about John the Baptizer.”

‭‭With a Mere Kernel of Faith

       “Jesus said, “What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here.” He ordered the afflicting demon out—and it was out, gone. From that moment on the boy was well.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭MSG‬‬

    What a rebuke! If I were one of Jesus disciples and He had just said this to me and then demonstrated His power with such ease I would have felt somewhat like a fool, The disciples may have felt a range of emotions after Jesus rebuked them with the words in Matthew 17:17-18. They may have felt embarrassed or ashamed for their lack of faith and for their inability to heal the boy with a demon. They may have also felt a sense of disappointment or frustration with themselves for not understanding or being able to do what Jesus had taught them. They may also have felt a sense of confusion or bewilderment at Jesus' rebuke and not understanding the reason for their inability to heal the boy. Additionally, They may have felt a sense of humility and a desire to improve their faith and understanding of Jesus' teachings.

    This is something that i find very important however, I think there is this cultural idea that we have here that being corrected or rebuked is a bad thing, and if someone does or says something that evokes negative emotions in you then they are to be labeled and canceled. This is part of why out culture has become so far off track. If you watch how the disciples respond you get an idea of how we should respond to correction, even when it sounds really harsh, Because if we are unable to take correction or criticism then how do we know our life is on track? 

    As we sit and study Jesus, and we talked about this earlier, no one ever labeled Jesus as judgmental, harsh, or even abusive.   

 -   Let me break this down so we can understand where our culture is at today. 

When Jesus was alive his accusations looked like:

    Blasphemy: The religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God.

    Disobeying the Law of Moses: The religious leaders accused Jesus of not following the Law of Moses and of promoting behavior that was considered sinful.

    Subversion: The Roman authorities accused Jesus of being a political threat and of inciting rebellion against Roman rule.

    Claiming to be a King: The Roman authorities accused Jesus of claiming to be a king, a claim that was considered a political challenge to Roman authority.

   - If Jesus were here today his accusations would look like this:

    Religious Intolerance: Some people may accuse Jesus of being intolerant of other religions and belief systems, because of his claim to be the only way to God.

    Hateful speech: Some people may accuse Jesus of promoting hate speech or hate crimes because of some of the strong language he uses in the Bible to denounce sin and hypocrisy.

    Discrimination: Some people may accuse Jesus of discrimination because of his teachings on sexual morality, which may be seen as discriminatory against LGBT people.

    Violence: Some people may accuse Jesus of promoting violence because of his language of judgment and eternal punishment.

    I digress . . .

“When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, “Why couldn’t we throw it out?” “Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭MSG‬‬

    The Story continues on and Jesus predicts His death and resurrection, scaring his disciples who don't understand whats going on with this just yet. 

Taxes

    The incident of the tax and the coin in a fish's mouth at the end of Matthew 17 is a story that illustrates Jesus' ability to provide for the needs of his followers. In this story, the collectors of the temple tax come to Peter and ask if Jesus has paid the temple tax. Peter tells them that Jesus has not paid the tax and Jesus tells Peter to go to the sea and catch a fish, the first fish that he catches, he will find a coin in its mouth, and to use that coin to pay the temple tax for both of them.

This story is often seen as a demonstration of Jesus' power and authority over nature, as he is able to command a fish to catch a coin in its mouth. It's also a demonstration of Jesus' provision for his disciples, as he takes care of their financial needs in a miraculous way.

Additionally, this story is also seen as a demonstration of Jesus' authority over the temple and its system of sacrifices, as the temple tax was used to fund the temple and its sacrifices. The fact that Jesus was able to provide the tax on his own, without paying it, is seen as a sign of his authority over the temple and its system.

Finally, this story is also seen as a demonstration of Jesus' authority over the coins and money, as he is able to command the coin to be caught in a fish's mouth, this is seen as a demonstration of Jesus' authority over the material world, and his power to provide for the needs of his followers.

Job 13

    In Job 13, Job expresses his desire to speak directly with God, and to plead his case before Him. He acknowledges that God is all-powerful, but he also questions why God would allow him to suffer so much, despite being righteous. Job also accuses his friends of being unjust and unhelpful in their advice, and he wishes to defend himself before God.

    Job laments that God has hidden his face from him, and he expresses a desire to confront God and ask Him why he is being punished. He insists that he has not sinned, and that he is being punished unjustly. He also accuses his friends of speaking falsely about him, and of not truly understanding his suffering.

    Job also acknowledges that God is powerful and that he cannot be fathomed, but he still wants to speak with God, and present his case before him. He also accuses his friends of speaking falsely and not truly understanding his suffering.

    Have you ever Felt like Job does here in chapter 13? I know I have had these exact same feelings at times in my life, wondering where God is or what I have done and just wanting to know what i needed to do to change my situation. 

    Just like Jesus sending his disciples into the lake even tho he knew there was a storm coming, we have to have faith and trust that God will lead us through whatever it is we are facing. 

Job 14

    Job laments the brevity of human life and the fact that all people must die, despite their righteousness. He points out that humans are born into sin and are inherently flawed, and that there is no hope of deliverance from this condition, even through repentance. He also states that no human can be pure before God and that death is the final end of all people.

Job also expresses his longing for death as an escape from his suffering and misery. He wishes that God would simply take his life and end his suffering, as he sees no hope of deliverance or restoration in this life.

Job also speaks of the hope of a future resurrection and the possibility of seeing God after death, but he acknowledges that this hope is uncertain and that no one knows for sure what happens after death.

In summary, Job 14 is a chapter in which Job continues to express his despair and frustration with his current situation. He laments the brevity of human life, the fact that all people must die, and the human condition as inherently flawed. He also expresses his longing for death as an escape from his suffering and misery, and speaks of the hope of a future resurrection and the possibility of seeing God after death, but acknowledges that this hope is uncertain.

Psalms 17

Psalm 17 is a prayer of David, in which he appeals to God for protection and deliverance from his enemies. He asks God to hear his plea, to protect him from those who seek to harm him, and to vindicate him. David speaks of his own righteousness and faithfulness, and pleads with God to judge him according to his integrity. He also expresses confidence in God's ability to deliver him from his enemies and to bring him to safety.

“Their hearts are hard as nails, their mouths blast hot air. They are after me, nipping my heels, determined to bring me down, Lions ready to rip me apart, young lions poised to pounce. Up, God: beard them! break them! By your sword, free me from their clutches; Barehanded, God, break these mortals, these flat-earth people who can’t think beyond today. I’d like to see their bellies swollen with famine food, The weeds they’ve sown harvested and baked into famine bread, With second helpings for their children and crusts for their babies to chew on.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭17‬:‭10‬-‭14‬ ‭MSG‬‬

    I think sometimes it's hard to relate fully to some of these Psalms, as David is probably being more literal here about his enemies who were literally hunting him and wanting to kill him, tho it still happens in our world today, it's probably less likely that we will experience a ruler sending his men on a man hunt after one of us, unless it's the feds and we did something really stupid . . .

    We can still relate to how this feels, perhaps you find yourself in a place where co-workers seem to be ganging up on your or family members. and we can still read and pray through these psalms and see that our emotions are normal and a part of the human experience.